Installed: 10mm spacers and longer wheel studs

[Mattwood440]

Total cost $57
Done on front axle only
Stock hubs, stock wheels, GT with Performance Package

*I wouldn't recommend doing this without an impact gun

I wanted to bump the front wheels out a little bit to visually match the rear wheels I had widened and spaced out using 1" bolt on spacers from American Muscle. I didn't want to use 1" spacers on the front. I preferred 10-15mm. The stock studs only have 11 turns until they bottom out so the max spacer thickness that could be used with these studs is approx 5mm. I could not find any bolt on spacers around 15mm. Thus the new spacers would need longer studs.

Tools I used:
Good 1/2" impact gun with a good air compressor
Air hammer (preferred, puts less stress on hub)
Big nut or stack of washers that will fit over the stud (Lisle tool won't work)
Spray lubricant
Wire coathanger to hold the heavy caliper
Masking tape
Dremel tool with sanding drum or sandpaper
Anti-seize compound
Jack, jack stands, sockets and tools needed to remove the wheels and calipers
Torque wrench that goes up to 150ft/lbs

Parts I bought:
10mm 5x4.5" billet aluminum spacers with 70.3 center bore (ebay $33.15)
10 Dorman wheel studs part # 610-435 ($1.99ea)
2 M14x1.5 lug nuts that will be thrown away ($1.99ea)

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[Mattwood440]

Dorman Wheel Studs (part # 610-435). They are OE on GM 3500 trucks and vans. The torque specs on those are 140ft/lbs.

The small diameter of the knurling on the new ones matched the OEM ones perfectly. They were a TIGHT fit though, which is why I recommend an impact gun. What's nice is the new ones had a slightly smaller head so they didn't need to be clipped to clear the ABS ring. The back of the hub is completely flat and has plenty of clearance.

 

[Mattwood440]

I used an air hammer to tap the old studs out. This places less stress on the hub bearing than using a heavy hammer, plus your not going to swing and miss. The blue masking tape was there to protect the ABS ring when I hammered out the old ones.

The standard dremel sanding drum fits perfectly, although I had to loosen the set screw a little to make the drum slimmer. I used the dremel conservatively at first, but after I pressed a couple of the new ones in I realized it's almost impossible to over enlarge the hole unless you hold it in there for a long time. Just get the rust out and smooth it a little bit.

The Lisle wheel stud tool won't work. I have 2 different sizes. The small one won't fit over stud's shoulder and the big one hits the hub center and can't be centered. So I went old school. I used a big nut as a spacer for the 2 new lug nuts I bought to pull the studs through. I used one brand new lug nut per side. The nuts get warm and stretched out and should be thrown out afterward. The studs however stayed cool to the touch. I used lots of silicone spray on the stud, the hub, and both nuts. The studs went in slowly but steadily, and never once bound up.

 

[Mattwood440]

The little part of the shoulder on the new studs that stick out past the hub are no problem. The holes in the rotor are perfectly sized to fit over them.

Surprisingly, the spacer I bought from ebay also fit over the M14 studs without needing to have the holes enlanged, which I had feared. The 70.3 center bore was a perfect fit. Double bonus. I used some anti seize compound between the rotor and spacer due to the dissimilar metals.

One last thing to note. There was not enough of the hub lip left to center the wheel anymore. So I took care to spin the wheel while I hand tightened the stock lug nuts so the wheel centered properly. The stock lug nuts turned at least 10 times. I had zero vibration at any speed but the wheels do need to be balanced using the lug holes in the future, as they are no longer mounted hubcentric. Then again my winter wheels are not hubcentric and those don't vibrate either. I torqued them all to 140ft/lbs.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Niz55]

The head diameter of the gm stud is much smaller than the factory mustang studs. That's why I didn't install it. The outter head diameter barely fits over the holes on the hub. Better hope it doesn't pull threw when you torquing it down over and over.

I went with arp that has the same diameter head so it sit around the hole and not in the hole. Had it cut to my spec and used a die to clean the treads.

 

[Mattwood440]

The head diameter of the gm stud is much smaller than the factory mustang studs. That's why I didn't install it. The outter head diameter barely fits over the holes on the hub. Better hope it doesn't pull threw when you torquing it down over and over.

I went with arp that has the same diameter head so it sit around the hole and not in the hole. Had it cut to my spec and used a die to clean the treads.

Pulling a 19mm bolt head through a 15.7mm hole would be impossible

 

[Niz55]

The actual hole on the back side of the hub is concave. Starts with a bigger ID (17.44). So with a 19MM head bolt that would not be safe. It will work but for how long? You keep torquing your lug nuts to 140LBS every time you take off your wheels. It might not go threw the hole, But i guarantee you it will sink in.

Here is my front hub that i took out to do some stress testing on the arp studs. The arp stud head is 21.76MM and it sits perfectly around the hub hole. I used a big torque wrench that we have at work that goes up to 1000flbs and the ARP stud broke at 640flbs and it never sinked in from the back side of the hub not even 1mm.

I would keep an eye on it and make sure everything is good or better yet change it out. Your choice, Hopefully nothing happens. Be safe


Here is a picture of the back hole of the hub.

 

[scott_0]

The head diameter of the gm stud is much smaller than the factory mustang studs. That's why I didn't install it. The outter head diameter barely fits over the holes on the hub. Better hope it doesn't pull threw when you torquing it down over and over.

I went with arp that has the same diameter head so it sit around the hole and not in the hole. Had it cut to my spec and used a die to clean the treads.

lol your fear makes no sense, its not an issue for very large GM trucks and vans they are used on, im confused over your concern :shrug:

 

[Niz55]

lol your fear makes no sense, its not an issue for very large GM trucks and vans they are used on, im confused over your concern :shrug:

Hubs are different on each car. The holes are different diameter also.

 

[Niz55]

You see where the marking on the arp head bolt is on the hub. It is around the hole where it should be like factory.

 

[scott_0]

Hubs are different on each car. The holes are different diameter also.

dude! what dont you get? if the knurl/shoulder size is the same, just how is the hell is this an issue? youre thinking is not logical at all

 

[Niz55]

dude! what dont you get? if the knurl/shoulder size is the same, just how is the hell is this an issue? youre thinking is not logical at all

The knurl is not keeping the stud head from pulling in. It is the od of the head that keep the stud head from pulling in.

 

[Mattwood440]

dude! what dont you get? if the knurl/shoulder size is the same, just how is the hell is this an issue? youre thinking is not logical at all

He mentioned that in another thread and it didn't make sense there either. Thor couldn't pull that stud head through that hole without the bolt breaking first. I haven't seen a lot of C/K3500 wheels laying by the side of the road :lol:

 

[cbass]

The real question is, do we need extended lugs for 10mm spacers?

 

[scott_0]

The real question is, do we need extended lugs for 10mm spacers?

yes!

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